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THE OVER-SUNG AND THE UNSUNG

NIZAMUDD1N AHMED
ACCORDING to one Bengali folklore, albeit in
reference to a woman, it is said that she who can cook can also tie up her hair. Perhaps 'hairdo' perse was not in vogue in the days of Thakur Ma and so the rudimentary tying up, or perhaps
it was assumed, by the biased male chauvinist even back then that the woman of the house
was born to be shackled to the kitchen.
Most of us aam admi would have been happy if we could stick to our pretentious tradition and our dexterity were spread over (or limited to) maybe two to three skills per person. But, going by TV programmes, printed supplements and humongous billboards, some of our mainly distinguished performers of the arts appear to be into everything and anything under the sun, as they take full, and to some extent, undue advantage of the 'celebrity' tag.
Yes, they can sing only when their permanent hands are in accompaniment, or dance when their recorded music sounds the cue, act or naught you know better, or recite by imitation, or anchor a show stereotyped to a tee, and yet they are invited to don the judge's robe in a cooking competition and then soon after in a fashion show, or in a debate on a subject as complex as climate change, or in a talent hunt for budding performers.
They will also dare to start crooning if their known virtue is drama or assume the role of an author if they have excelled in the footsteps of Uday Shankar or Mallika
Sarabhai. We are not surprised to see a painter giving tips on make-up, although there is some close affiliation.
During the early 70s, the fabled Khan Ata (aka Khan Ataur Rahman) was lovingly known as WAPDA because (if my memory is loyal) he was a writer (of screenplay), artiste, producer, director and an actor, and he was tops in all. But, did we see him bare his teeth to vend toothpaste, however fresh the breath became? Or vouch confidently about the quality of imported cotton as a parrot mimicking his master? Or be a judge in a relay race at a sports meet or in a dress-as-
you-like competition, the latter being his forte? Nahhh! He was too dignified to stoop to commercialising his gifted talents.
Our TV channels primarily are responsible for expending these over-sung celebrities who seem to be willing to respond to the beck and call of any producer. The relationship works both ways; the household name gets more domestic and the producer gets an impromptu readymade unrehearsed guaranteed ’product', however depthless the deliberations may be. A survey would reveal that remote-happy viewers are bored with the repetitive faces, but working with a debutant
has always been considered a risk taken only by a producer worth his salt.
And yet, this country is thriving with diligent, honourable and conscientious workers, educators, professionals, businesspeople, government officers, service personnel, retailers, vehicle operators, backstage support team in sports and performance arts, mass media personnel, parents, siblings... (not mentioned in any order) who remain the society's unsung heroes. They each are a manifest giant in their own spectrum, without whose contributions our nation would have fallen further behind in the global race.
We are a wretched nation, unwilling to be grateful to or are unaware of the people who keep our life ticking. In their shortcut crack at delivering typecast package endlessly, a good chunk of our media has been running after the glitter of the tinsel world; and in the process, a very significant part of real providers has been ignored. But, do our champions mind? They are too human and humble to be caged in the confines of monitors, broadsheets and tabloids.
Without their sustained contribution, we would not have had a full bowl of rice on our table, nor a table carved by their nimble hands, nor hands that cany out complex lifesaving operations, nor risky operations that seek out criminals from a sea of people, nor people who sacrifice daily to better the life of their loved ones, nor ones that build houses and bridges, nor bridges that connect conflicting factions in the community, nor communities that complete lasimuddin's patterned quilt, nor quilts that keep us warm, nor warmth that we exude every Ekushey, every 26th and 16th ...
They are the unknown heroes. Their achievements in the face of adversity must be glorified. Depiction of their struggles can be inspirational for the younger generation. Their stories of giving can reverse the trend of brain drain. They are winning our peace-time war.
Collectively, they are like the 'unknown soldier', whose tomb (found in several countries) is dedicated to the service of an unidentified martyr and in commemorating the supreme sacrifice of all soldiers who lost their life in a war. Only our unheralded soldiers are living.
The writer Is a practising Architect at BashaBarl Ltd., a Commonwealth Scholar and a Fellow, a Baden-Powell Fellow Scout Leader, and a Major Donor Rotarian.